Paul Gompers--elite marathoner and Harvard Business School professor

 

Paul Gompers has a long history in the marathon and in the pursuit of excellence. It's hard to imagine anyone more competitive than Gompers. He even owns Alter-G treadmills in two separate residences so he can work out twice a day. 

Gompers ran his first marathon in 1983 while a Harvard freshman. His 2:15:28 in Huntsville, Ala, still stands as an under-20 world record on a eligible course.

Here's a famous photo from that race. Gompers explains it in the podcast.

Four years later, Gompers improved to 2:11:39 at the 1987 Twin Cities Marathon. The following spring, he placed fourth in the 1988 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials behind Mark Conover, Ed Eyestone, and Pete Pfitzinger.

Gompers turned next to the study of economics. He has been a professor at the Harvard Business School since 1995, specializing in venture capital and entrepreneurship.

About 20 years ago, he learned to swim and began serious training for age-group triathlon, as did his wife Jody, a Boston-area physician. Gompers has since completed four Kona Ironman Triathlons, as well as many others, with top finishes for his age.

In recent years, he has also advised Harvard's standout alumni runners, including Graham Blanks and Ben Rosa.

For more on Paul Gompers, see this page on Wikipedia. 

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

APPLE

SPOTIFY

YOU TUBE

AUDIBLE

I HEART

POCKETCASTS

Bob Bickel--RunSignUp.com

Back in his college days at Bucknell University, Bob Bickel trained 100 miles/week, and pushed his 10,000-meter time down to an impressive 29:07. Then he took his electrical engineering skills into the tech industry, and enjoyed several modest successes. 

Next he opened a running retail store in Moorestown, NJ, and a few years later decided he could improve upon existing race registrations platforms. He was right. Run Sign Up has become the dominant road race registration platform in the U.S., because it's simple to use, and free for race directors to implement. 

What more could a volunteer race director want?

We spoke to Bob about his own running career, what he learned from the team philosophy that made Bucknell a regional powerhouse in cross-country, and how he views the demographics of road racing in the U.S. today. We were particularly struck by one key statistic.

According to Bob, only 6 percent of U.S. race participants participate in the top 100 races--the mega races that get nearly 100 percent of news coverage. In other words, 94 percent of U.S. runners take part in local and regional races. That's what makes the sport so deep and strong.

For more about Run Sign Up, check out this 10-minute YouTube video, or read Bob's "Trends Update" for mid-year 2026.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

APPLE

SPOTIFY

YOU TUBE

AUDIBLE

I HEART

POCKETCASTS